East London
This article is about the city in South Africa. For the area of London, United Kingdom, see East London, England.East London (
Afrikaans:
Oos-Londen,
Xhosa:
eMonti) is a city on the southeast coast of
South Africa, situated in the
Eastern Cape Province at 32.97°S and 27.87°E.[
1]. The city is situated on the
Indian Ocean coast, between the
Buffalo River, and the
Nahoon River, and is the country's only river port. East London today has a population of 250,000, with over 700,000 in the metropolitan area.
A
British fort, Fort Glamorgan, was built at the site of the city in
1847, and annexed to the
Cape Colony that same year. Three villages grew around the fort, and were eventually combined to form the town of East London, which was elevated to city status in
1914.
During the early to mid-1800 Frontier wars, East London served as a supply port to service the military headquarters at nearby
King William's Town. With later development of the port came the settlement of permanent residents, including German settlers, most of whom were bachelors. In
1857 the British Government took pity on them and a cargo of 157 Irish girls arrived to help lift morale.
The existing port, in the mouth of the Buffalo River, adjoining the Indian Ocean, has been operating since 1870. The advent of the railway on the east bank in 1876 added momentum to ongoing development of the area into today's thriving city of East London.
The unusual double Decker Bridge over the Buffalo River was completed in
1935 and to this day, is the only bridge of its type in South Africa. Modern day attractions include the East London Museum housing the
coelacanth, a prehistoric fish, thought to be extinct, discovered live there by fishermen in 1938, and numerous memorial statues. The city is well-known as a surfing mecca, and its beaches are among the best in the country.
In
1959, the
Prince George Circuit race circuit opened; it hosted three
Formula One South African Grand Prix races in the
1960s. In
2000, East London became part of the municipality of
Buffalo City, also consisting of
King William's Town and
Bhisho.
In 1961, areas on either side of East London were declared Bantu homelands. Ciskei to the west and Transkei to the East. East London finding herself almost surrounded, except to the north, became very unsettled during the apartheid era. With the volatility in the 70's and 80's, the government decided to dissolve the harbour in fear of the vital river port falling into the hands of the Xhosa People. Cranes were removed and sold to Argentina at a ridiculous price at that stage. This move nearly crippled the city's harbour and has never truly being able to recover. Fortunately with enormous investment in recent years by a few corporations like Daimler Chrysler, the harbour has had some development like the new car terminal.
The city is the second largest industrial centre in the province. The motor industry is the dominant employer. A major
DaimlerChrysler plant is located near the harbour, manufacturing
Mercedes-Benz vehicles for the local market, as well as exporting to the
United Kingdom,
Australia and
Japan. Other industries include clothing, textiles, pharmaceuticals and food processing.
From the 1960s until 1994, the
apartheid government created tax and wage incentives to attract industries in the former black independent states, including nearby
Ciskei. Investment thus flowed into surrounding areas such as Fort Jackson and Dimbaza, leaving East London in relative isolation. The militant union activity of the time was not conducive to productivity or good labour relations. Infrastructure deteriorated and port activity wound down.
To encourage investment in the city, the East London Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) has been established on the West Bank, close to both the port and airport. 1500ha of land has been made available, and the site is one of four duty-free development areas in South Africa.
East London has good transport links with the rest of South Africa. The N2 highway connecting Cape Town and Durban bypasses the city, while the N6 highway joins East London with the inland city of Mangaung. The
East London Airport, 10km from the city centre, has daily flights to all major South African cities.
The main languages spoken are
English,
Xhosa and
Afrikaans. The city is home to a large number of retirees, thanks to the mild climate and holiday atmosphere.
East London forms a constituent part of the
Buffalo City Local Municipality and is the seat of that municipality.
*
East London Local Community Website*
Official website of Buffalo City*
Tourist Information for East London*
Official website of the East London Industrial Zone
